CCSE and DELE A2 exams for Spanish citizenship: what to sit

CCSE and DELE A2 exams for citizenship: what to take

The law requires two proofs of integration: a DELE diploma at level A2 or higher and a CCSE certificate. Both tests are designed and run by the Instituto Cervantes, both are taken in person, and no courses are needed to sit them [12][13]. The ministry can check your exam results in the Cervantes database if you gave consent for this in your citizenship application [12]. The residence period itself and how to apply are covered in how many years until citizenship and Spanish citizenship by residence; for the difference from a residence permit and permanent residence, see residence permit or citizenship.

This is a summary of the official Cervantes pages [1][2][7][8][15].

CCSE: format, content and pass mark

The exam has 25 questions in five tasks and lasts 45 minutes. Questions have either three answer options or are “true/false”, and each question is 30-40 words long [1]. A correct answer scores one point; a wrong or skipped answer scores zero, with no penalties. To pass, you need to answer 15 of the 25 questions correctly [1][2].

The split into 15 and 10 questions is given in the Cervantes FAQ [14]. The questions are written in modern peninsular Spanish [1]. The result arrives in about 20 days in your personal account, where you also download the electronic certificate with a verification code. It shows only “apto”, “no apto” or “no presentado”; scores are not given [2].

Registration costs €85 worldwide, covers the right to sit the exam, the certificate and the preparation materials, and gives you two attempts: if you fail or do not show up the first time, the second attempt requires no new payment [3][14]. If you do not show up the second time either, the fee is neither refunded nor carried over [14]. You can get a refund within 14 calendar days of the registration date [4].

DELE A2: structure and how scores are calculated

The DELE A2 exam has four parts of 25 points each. Reading: 60 minutes, 25 items. Listening: 40 minutes, 25 items. Written expression and interaction: 45 minutes, two tasks. Speaking: 12 minutes plus 12 minutes of preparation, three tasks; the centre may schedule it on the day before or after the main date [7].

To get an “apto” in DELE levels A1-B2, you need at least 30 points in each of the two assessment groups: these are pairs of 25-point parts, so 30 out of 50 [8]. Results arrive about two months after the written part, and about three months for the May and November sessions. The diploma and electronic certificate are downloaded from your personal account [11]. If you disagree with your mark, you can submit one review request within a month: it costs 60% of the exam price, and the amount is refunded if the mark changes to “apto” [11].

The DELE diploma does not expire. Even a diploma obtained before 2008 is valid for citizenship purposes, and you do not need to retake it [15].

Dates and registration: what is open as of 2 October 2026

The CCSE is held on the last Thursday of every month, except in August and December, with appointment slots. The exam centres agree the date and time with candidates. Regular CCSE sessions are held only in Spain [4][15]. The remaining sessions in 2026 are on 29 October (registration closes on 8 October) and 26 November (registration until 5 November). Registration for 2027 opens on 23 November 2026; the first session is on 28 January 2027, with registration closing on 7 January [4].

DELE A2 is held less often. The remaining sessions in 2026 were on 17 October (registration closed on 2 September) and 13 November (closed on 30 September), so as of 2 October you can no longer register for DELE A2 in 2026. Registration for 2027 opens on 18 November 2026. A2 sessions in 2027: February (the 12th, registration closes on 7 January), April, May, July, September, October and November [9].

If you want to apply for citizenship in the first half of 2027, plan DELE A2 for the February or April session and register as soon as registration opens. It makes sense to take the CCSE three to four months before you apply: the result arrives quickly, but the certificate lasts four years, so taking it too early works against you [2][4][9].

Who is exempt or can get a waiver

Exempt from DELE are nationals of the 20 Latin American countries listed in the regulations and of Equatorial Guinea, as well as anyone who already holds a DELE diploma at level A2 or higher. Instead of DELE, official A2, B1 or B2 certificates issued by the Ministry of Education, the education authorities of the autonomous communities or the Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas are accepted, provided they are entered in the register and you have authorised the ministry to check them [13]. Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine are not on the list of countries exempt from DELE [12][13].

Under the order, people who studied in Spain and completed compulsory secondary education (ESO) can be exempted from both exams: they do not need a separate exemption request, it is enough to attach the documents to the citizenship application [13]. People who cannot read and write in Spanish apply to the Ministry of Justice for a partial exemption: they then take an adapted speaking part of DELE A2 and an adapted CCSE in Spain. This request must be filed before the citizenship application; the decision takes up to six months, and silence counts as a refusal [10][13]. Minors and persons whose legal capacity has been modified by a court do not take the exams [13][14].

For candidates with disabilities (sight, hearing, mobility, dyslexia and dysgraphia), the Cervantes offers special arrangements: the form and documents must be sent to the exam centre no later than two weeks before the date [5][10].

How to prepare: a plan

1. Download the free Cervantes materials: the CCSE 2026 preparation manual (it contains the questions that will appear in all exams from January 2026, with about 25% updated compared with 2025), a model test and the official “CCSE Nacionalidad Española” app [6]. The manual has 300 questions; the exam has 25 [1][14].
2. Work through the questions in thematic blocks: the Constitution and institutions, rights and duties, territorial organisation, then culture and everyday procedures. The first block accounts for 15 of the 25 questions, i.e. 60%, so learn it first [1].
3. Mind the language. The questions are written in Spanish, and the Cervantes multilingual glossary is available in English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish and Hebrew, but not in Russian [6][14]. For the CCSE, knowing the facts is not enough: you need to understand the terminology in Spanish.
4. For DELE A2, use the official specification, the model exam and the guide, all published on the exam page. Practise the speaking part out loud: three tasks, 12 minutes of preparation [7].
5. Register early. For the CCSE, you register with your NIE: if you registered with a different document, you need to contact Cervantes support to have it replaced [14].
6. Keep your certificates. In the citizenship application you can authorise the ministry to check your results with the Cervantes, in which case you do not need to attach proof [12].

Common mistakes

• Registering for the CCSE with a document other than the NIE. For citizenship purposes, the Cervantes requires registration specifically with the NIE.
• Taking the CCSE years before applying: the certificate is valid for four years [2][13].
• Forgetting that DELE is held rarely. Registration closes about five to seven weeks before the session, and if you miss a session you have to wait months [9].
• Studying from old versions: the CCSE questions for 2026 have been updated by about a quarter [6].
• Not checking exemptions: if you completed ESO in Spain, you may not need the exams, and if you cannot read or write, the exemption request must be filed before the application [10][13].
• Expecting to take the CCSE outside Spain: regular CCSE sessions are held only in Spain [4].

When you need an individual review

You need an individual review if you cannot read Spanish, if you have health limitations, if you finished school in Spain, if you have a language school certificate instead of DELE, or if the exam schedule clashes with the length of your legal residence. The order is as follows: the exemption for illiteracy is requested before the citizenship application, and the exam results must be valid on the filing date.

How we can help

We do not prepare you for the exams, but we fit them into the overall timeline: we check your residence period, choose the filing window, keep track of certificate validity and gather the other citizenship documents. Exam fees are paid separately. Book a consultation. The general procedure: Spanish citizenship by residence. To keep your residence period unbroken, keep the “Residence permit renewal” route card at hand; service: renewal and permanent residence.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.